Saab Is Ready To Roll Again, Says Its U.S. Boss

Product Editor Rick Kranz speaks with Mike Colleran, COO of Saab Cars North America and the man in charge of steering the brand in North America following its acquisition from General Motors by Dutch sports car maker Spyker. Saab has been on an 18-month roller coaster ride since GM first announced it was taking the brand through a strategic review. Dealers, in fact, had no new inventory for most of the 2010 model year.

"Just getting new product into the pipeline is a biggie," Colleran says. It is preparing for a full-blown launch of the 9-5 model next month, which will compete primarily with the Audi A6. There will be dealer and consumer events, as well as TV and print components. The company is also using social media to fight the perception that the brand is gone, and it knows it needs to instill confidence in consumers about the viability of the brand.

Saab is, in fact, gearing up for several additional launches. "Two years from now, the oldest product on the showroom floor will be the new 9-5," Colleran says. "What an amazing change."